Detecting successional changes in tropical forest structure using GatorEye drone-borne lidar.
2020
ALMEIDA, D. R. A. de | ZAMBRANO, A. M. A. | BROADBENT, E. N. | WENDT, A. L. | FOSTER, P. | WILKINSON, B. E. | SALK, C. | PAPA, D. de A. | STARK, S. C. | VALBUENA, R. | GORGENS, E. B. | SILVA, C. A. | BRANCALION, P. H. S. | FAGAN, M. | MELI, P. | CHAZDON, R. | Danilo Roberti Alves de Almeida, Universdade de São Paulo (USP/ESALQ) / University of Florida; Angelica Maria Almeyda Zambrano, University of Florida; Eben North Broadbent, University of Florida; Amanda L. Wendt, Organization for Tropical Studies / EARTH University; Paul Foster, Reserva Ecológica Bijagual / University of Michigan; Benjamin E. Wilkinson, University of Florida; Carl Salk, University of Agricultural Sciences; DANIEL DE ALMEIDA PAPA, CPAF-AC; Scott Christopher Stark, Michigan State University; Ruben Valbuena, Bangor University; Eric Bastos Gorgens, Universidade Federal do Vale do Jequitinhonha e Mucuri; Carlos Alberto Silva, University of Florida / University of Maryland; Pedro Henrique Santin Brancalion, Universidade de São Paulo (USP/ESALQ); Matthew Fagan, University of Maryland; Paula Meli, Universidade de São Paulo (USP/ESALQ) / Universidad de La Frontera; Robin Chazdon, University of Connecticut / University of the Sunshine Coast.
Drone-based remote sensing is a promising new technology that combines the benefits of ground-based and satellite-derived forest monitoring by collecting fine-scale data over relatively large areas in a cost-effective manner. Here, we explore the potential of the GatorEye drone-lidar system to monitor tropical forest succession by canopy structural attributes including canopy height, spatial heterogeneity, gap fraction, leaf area density (LAD) vertical distribution, canopy Shannon index (an index of LAD), leaf area index (LAI), and understory LAI. We focus on these variables? relationship to aboveground biomass (AGB) stocks and species diversity. In the Caribbean lowlands of northeastern Costa Rica, we analyze nine tropical forests stands (seven secondgrowth and two old-growth). Stands were relatively homogenous in terms of canopy height and spatial heterogeneity, but not in their gap fraction. Neither species density nor tree community Shannon diversity index was significantly correlated with the canopy Shannon index. Canopy height, LAI, and AGB did not show a clear pattern as a function of forest age. However, gap fraction and spatial heterogeneity increased with forest age, whereas understory LAI decreased with forest age. Canopy height was strongly correlated with AGB. The heterogeneous mosaic created by successional forest patches across human-managed tropical landscapes can now be better characterized. Drone-lidar systems offer the opportunity to improve assessment of forest recovery and develop general mechanistic carbon sequestration models that can be rapidly deployed to specific sites, an essential step for monitoring progress within the UN Decade on Ecosystem Restoration.
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